Myths and Legends of the World

Sigurd

In Norse* myth and legend, the warrior Sigurd was a member of the royal
family of Denmark and a descendant of the god Odin*. He was raised by a
blacksmith named Regin, who made him a special sword from pieces of a
sword owned by Sigurd's father.

Sigurd used his sword to kill the dragon Fafnir and so acquire its golden
treasure. When Sigurd roasted and ate the beast's heart, he was able to
understand the language of the birds around him. They warned him that
Regin was going to betray him, so Sigurd beheaded the blacksmith. Sigurd
took the treasure and put a ring on his finger. He was unaware that the
ring bore a curse, which brought misfortune to its wearer.

After slaying Fafnir, Sigurd came upon a castle where he awakened the
warrior maiden Brunhilde, whom Odin had cast into a deep sleep. Sigurd
gave his ring to Brunhilde and promised to return to marry her. But during
his journey Sigurd was given a magic drink that made him forget Brunhilde,
and he married the princess Gudrun instead.

Note

In German legends, Sigurd is called Siegfried; Gudrun is called
Kriemhild; and Gunnar is called Gunther.

Gudrun's brother Gunnar tried to win Brunhilde for himself, but Gunnar was
unable to cross the wall of flames surrounding Brunhilde's castle. Sigurd,
having forgotten Brunhilde completely, assumed Gunnar's shape and courted
Brunhilde in his place. Believing that Sigurd had abandoned her, Brunhilde
agreed to marry Gunnar, whom she did not love. When Brunhilde discovered
that she had been tricked, she was both angry with Sigurd and heartbroken
at the loss of his love. She had him slain and killed herself. The story
of Sigurd and Brunhilde is central to Richard Wagner's series of operas
known as
Der Ring des Nibelungen
(The Ring of the Nibelung).